In Parsippany, no concessions after all in teachers' contract

PARSIPPANY — Talks between school officials and the teachers’ union have broken down, with both sides unable to reach an agreement on concessions that could be made in the union contract, school board president Anthony Mancuso confirmed Friday.

The teachers last month offered to give back 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance, but only if teachers who had been laid off were brought back and the current contract, which expires next summer, was extended a year.

Almost 30 teaching positions were slated to be reduced in the next academic year.

“We were told that it was a take-it-or-leave-it deal,” Mancuso said. “We replied by asking them to reconsider for further discussions.”

He said the extended year alone would have wiped out the savings from the health insurance concession.

The union, which has more than 700 members, declined to reconsider and withdrew the offer.
Facing a reduction in state aid, the Parsippany school board had been asking the union to offer concessions for the last year of its four-year contract. Under the current contract, the teachers are due an average 4 percent raise for the next school year.

The school board decided Thursday to end discussions, Mancuso confirmed, and will instead focus on negotiating a new contract with the teachers.

Judy Mayer, the teachers union president, said the offer represented sacrifices on both sides.

“It was a genuine offer that would have helped out the district and the community and hopefully bring back some teachers,” she said.

Mancuso and Mayer said they don’t believe the outcome of the concession talks will affect discussions for a new contract.